Ancient DNA solves 5,500 year old burial mystery in Sweden

Ancient DNA from a Stone Age burial site in Sweden shows that families 5,500 years ago were more complex than expected. Many individuals buried together were not immediate family, but second- or third-degree relatives. One grave held a young woman alongside two children who were siblings—yet she wasn’t their mother. The discoveries hint at tight-knit communities where extended kin mattered deeply.

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Ancient drought may have wiped out the real-life hobbits 61,000 years ago

A massive, centuries-long drought may have driven the extinction of the “hobbits” of Flores. Climate records preserved in cave formations show rainfall plummeted just as the small human species disappeared. At the same time, pygmy elephants they depended on declined sharply as rivers dried up. With food and water vanishing, the hobbits may have been pushed out—and into their final chapter.

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People who switched to cannabis drinks cut their alcohol use nearly in half

A new University at Buffalo study suggests cannabis-infused beverages could help some people cut back on alcohol. In a survey of cannabis users, those who drank cannabis beverages reported cutting their weekly alcohol intake roughly in half and binge drinking less often. Nearly two-thirds said they reduced or stopped drinking alcohol after starting cannabis drinks.

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Ancient DNA solves 12,000-year-old mystery of rare genetic growth disorder

An Ice Age double burial in Italy has yielded a stunning genetic revelation. DNA from a mother and daughter who lived over 12,000 years ago shows that the younger had a rare inherited growth disorder, confirmed through mutations in a key bone-growth gene. Her mother carried a milder version of the same mutation. The finding not only solves a long-standing mystery but also proves that rare genetic diseases stretch far back into prehistory.

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Giving people cash didn’t cause more injuries or deaths

As cash transfer programs expand across the United States, critics often warn that giving people money could spark reckless behavior, leading to injuries or even deaths. But a sweeping 11-year analysis of Alaska’s long-running Permanent Fund Dividend program tells a different story. Researchers examined statewide hospital records and death data and found no increase in traumatic injuries or unnatural deaths after annual payments were distributed.

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Ancient fingerprint found on 2,400-year-old Danish war boat

More than a century after its discovery, Scandinavia’s oldest plank boat is finally giving up new secrets. By analyzing ancient caulking and cords from the Hjortspring boat, researchers uncovered traces of pine pitch and animal fat — materials that likely came from pine-rich regions east of Denmark along the Baltic Sea. This suggests the vessel, used by a band of Iron Age warriors who attacked the island of Als over 2,000 years ago, may have sailed across open waters on a long, carefully planned mission.

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Why some kids struggle with math even when they try hard

A new Stanford study suggests math struggles may be about more than numbers. Children who had difficulty with math were less likely to adjust their thinking after making mistakes during number comparison tasks. Brain imaging showed weaker activity in regions that help monitor errors and guide behavioral changes. These brain patterns could predict which children were more likely to struggle.

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